Return to a Land of Wonder, a tale of Wonderland

[由 Yuna 奈]

OK, so I'm not sure why I'm posting this... >.< I guess I just want to see what people think. ^^

AN: Alright, so this may was one of the first stories that I ever wrote. It's currently going through a rewrite, so it may take me awhile to update... I'm really sorry about that. My computer has been lagging like crazy, and keeps deleting whatever I try and save... So I keep having to redo everything I change. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy!

Chapter 1- A Not Quite Proposal

Not everything is as it seems,
In your heart and in your mind,
You will one day understand just what this means.

Alice stared at the piece of paper in confusion, wondering what on earth it could mean. Well, she knew not everything was as it seemed. She had learned that long ago when she fell down a rabbit hole and traveled to Wonderland. Well... that had technically been a dream, so she supposed that it didn't count. All the same, she was still a little worried about what it meant.

Now Alice had never received a note that wasn't signed before, so this really was an experience.

...and definitely not a pleasant one. Somehow the note seemed sort of like a threat, although that made no sense either. Why would anyone threaten her? She had never done anything to make someone want to do something to her. At least... she didn't think she did.

Alice wondered if someone might be playing a practical joke on her. Yes, that was always possible.

As she continued to ponder the possible meanings of the note she felt someone lay a cold hand on her bare shoulder. She jumped, and whirled around.

"Oh! George, it's only you." Alice sighed in relief when she saw George Faraday, the young man whom had just recently gotten up the courage to talk to her.

George raised an eyebrow and frowned. "What do you mean by 'only me', Alice? Were you suspecting someone else?"

George Faraday was a tall youth a few years older than Alice herself, making him around twenty. He had dark brown hair chopped short and gelled back, as well as pale, sickly gray eyes. Alice honestly didn't think that much of him, but her parents seemed to think that the two of them made a wonderful pair.

"No, no, of course not. I was simply startled by your sudden appearance."

"Alice, I have been here for an hour," George protested, much to Alice's dismay.

"You have?" Alice asked quietly, biting her lip.

How strange, she hadn't seen him. Had he been speaking with her parents then?

George nodded. "Yes, I was speaking with your parents."

Alice sighed. So her guess had been spot on then. She really wished that her parents would at least attempt to care for her feelings... she had told them many times now that she just did not care for George the way they wished she did. And yet they just didn't seem to listen to a thing she had to say. With one daughter already married, they hoped to have their youngest married off as soon as possible as well. And George Faraday, although Alice didn't agree, was quite a catch. Many believed him quite handsome, and he was destined to inherit quite a good sum of money in a few years.

But money really meant nothing to Alice. Sadly, it seemed to mean a good deal to her parents.

"Oh...." Alice said, somewhat dejectedly. "I see..."

George didn't seem to notice her mood though. "You know, my family is one of the oldest ones in all of England and..."

Alice tuned him out here, not wanting to hear another lengthy description of his family line. He had once gone on for hours on end about his great-something-grandfather who had first come to England and began to make his fortune as a blacksmith. It had bored her to tears, but Alice was too polite to say a thing.

And now, as he was once again going on and on, her mind returned to Wonderland, the dream world she had created five years before. Even though it had all been just a dream, she so longed for it to have been real. She longed to return to that wonderful world... to once again see the friends she made, to once again follow the White Rabbit, to drink tea with Hatter and Hare... She even wished that she could see Hearts again, despite everything the woman had tried to do to her.

"--married."

Alice blinked. He didn't say what she thought he said, did he? "Um...could you please repeat that?" she asked nervously, a feeling of dread already forming in the pit of her stomach.

George didn't seem to mind having to repeat his words at all. "Our families believe we should be married as soon as possible."

Oh no, he did. Alice felt the growing desire to scream build up inside her, but held it in. Swaying slightly she tightened her hold on the back of a chair to help her keep her balance. This was so utterly unbelievable! Her parents were all but planning her wedding, and they had said nothing to her! Nothing!

"Are you feeling unwell?" George asked her, his expression not showing even a flicker of genuine concern. "Should I call a doctor?"

Alice shook her head. "No, not necessary." Forcing a smile she said, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache... I just need to lie down."

What she really needed was something to hit, and she feared that if given the chance, that thing would be George. Actually, that may not be such a bad idea at all... perhaps if she made him angry enough than he wouldn't want to marry her at all. A small smile formed on her lips as she took a step toward him.

George nodded in understanding, though Alice doubted if he really understood a thing. "Of course. Then I shall take my leave to allow you to rest."

And he reached down and pressed his thin lipped mouth to her hand, which he had taken at some point. When Alice felt his tongue touch her knuckles that was the last straw.

She slapped him.

EN: I'm terribly sorry for ending this chapter here! The original keeps going for awhile, but I really need to rewrite that part before posting it. I read it earlier and it was complete rubbish. I hope to update again very soon, hopefully tomorrow. Until then please be patient!

[由 Yuna 奈]

Chapter 2- Arguments and Looking Glasses

"Alice, I cannot believe that you would do such a thing!"

The girl flinched at the harsh tone her father was using, but held his gaze.

"You may have ruined our plans completely, do you realize that?" he continued, his eyes hard.

It had been two hours since George had left, furious with her, and threatening to call off the engagement. Honestly, Alice thought, he is so immature... we aren't even engaged! Or... if we are, I wasn't told about it. That wasn't a very pleasing prospect, but she knew that it was possible all the same. Her parents had a nasty habit of never telling her anything, whether or not it was really for her own good. Sometimes Alice wondered if they even ever thought of anyone but themselves and their plans.

"Are you sorry for what you did, young lady?" Leonore, her mother, asked sternly.

The older woman seemed to be on the verge of tears, although her daughter had no idea why she was so upset. So Alice had made one rich boy angry, what was the problem? It wasn't even as though there ever could have been love between the two. In fact, Alice highly doubted that there could ever really be anything between the two at all, from what she had seen. She had absolutely no regrets.

"No I'm not," Alice retorted. "I honestly do not care that he may not want to marry me, for I certainly do not want to marry him!"

She emphasized the words 'do not', but her parents didn't seem to notice. They continued to glare at their youngest daughter, using the same looks they had given her when she was young and had disobeyed them. Did they still think of her as a child that they could control? She was seventeen for goodness sakes!

Leonore took a deep breath. "Alice, what has gotten into you? You have never acted this way before."

Leonore had bright blue eyes just like her daughter, but her long hair was brown. She wore it tied back in a sort of elegant bun on the top of her head. She wore a modest dress, although her clothing spoke of wealth. Right now her blue eyes were blazing with anger, which made her daughter very uncomfortable.

"Your mother is right, Alice. You need to stop behaving like such a child, and grow up," Richard Lidell told her.

Alice's eyes returned to her father. His blond hair was long, and usually pinned back against the nape of his neck. He had dark blue eyes, and a wide mouth. His hair now sported a few streaks of gray, and his eyes and mouth had lines around them. He had once been a very handsome man, and she supposed, if she were not his daughter, she would consider him handsome still.

"I'm not acting like a child!" Alice protested, though she knew it would be futile. "Have either of you even considered my feelings about this? Have you?"

Her parents exchanged looks, which was enough of an answer for Alice. She knew that they weren't thinking of her in this. They only wanted to try and make their family more important, more prestigious, by marrying their daughter off to one of the richest families. Alice looked down at the marbled floor as tears welled in her eyes. This wasn't fair... why did she have to have parents that didn't care about her?

"Alice," her mother took a step toward her. "Of course we have considered your feelings. Everything we do we do for you."

Richard nodded. "Your mother is right Alice. We care about you most of all."

Alice's head shot up. For her? They thought they were doing this for her? They thought that she wanted this? They were both madder than the Mad Hatter! And from what she remembered of him, that was certainly saying something. She laughed mirthlessly.

"If that were true, than you would have asked me what I thought before getting me engaged to someone whom I could never possibly love." She turned from them. "The next time you want me to help you improve your images, ask me first."

With that she silently walked out of the room, amazed that she had been able to keep herself from shouting. As she walked up emerald carpeted stairs she felt tears well in her eyes. Had she done something wrong? Was that why they never asked her her opinion? She couldn't remember doing anything to displease them, at least... not to displease them this much. She had been an average child, not doing anything remarkable. She had done what she was told to do, when she was told to do it, without complaint.

But nothing she seemed to do was good enough for her so called 'perfect parents'. Her lips twisted upwards into a half-smile. "Perfect indeed," she murmured to herself as she entered her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Alice paused, and looked around the small room she had used for as long as she could remember. The floor was covered in a dark green carpet, much like the one that covered the stairs. The walls of the room were cream, and tastefully -- in her parents opinion anyway -- decorated with paintings from unknown artists. Her bed was small as well, covered with a simple white duvet. At the foot of it was a steamer trunk that held her books, as well as some baubles she had collected over the years. She turned to her right and there was her wardrobe, which had a full length mirror attached to the front of it.

A small stand was next to the wardrobe, and upon sat a lone brush. Alice sighed as she lay down upon the bed. She wished that she weren't stuck in this house, but there was nowhere she could go. It wasn't as though she could simply go out and find herself another place to go. Besides, she didn't know any other way of life. Burying her head in her pillow she finally let her tears fall.

----

It was dark when Alice awoke. Pushing herself up she blinked a few times to clear the cobwebs. She had a faint headache, which always happened after she had cried. Why had she been crying again? The haze that accompanied waking up faded quickly, and she remembered what had happened. She sighed, and ran a hand through her long blond hair. She was going to be in for it. Her parents were surely angry with her for speaking so rudely to them.

A wave of anger shot through Alice. Why should she be worried about what they were going to say? It was there fault in the first place. If they hadn't tried to plan her future for her than she never would have gotten so upset. Sighing again she got off the bed and moved to the table by the wardrobe. Blaming them wouldn't make any of this better. She knew that, but her mind didn't quite seem to want to accept that.

She picked up the brush and moved so that she stood in front of the mirror on the wardrobe. As she began to brush the tangles out of her hair she stared at her reflection. Her blue eyes were rimmed with red, and she had the beginnings of dark circles under her eyes. Alice had never been one to care about appearances, but she couldn't help but think about how terrible she looked.

Alice closed her eyes as she continued to try to get through the rat's nest in her hair. But when she opened her eyes, she saw something in the mirror that she was not expecting. Gasping, she dropped the brush and took a step back.

Staring back at her was a man. He had tan skin, the color of hot chocolate with lots of cream added, and shoulder length black hair that framed his narrow face. His eyes were the color of the sun, and just as intense looking. He was wearing a pair of tight black pants and a ruffled button-up purple shirt. Except as Alice looked closer, she noticed that only half of the buttons were actually done up, exposing a good amount of his finely toned chest.

Alice felt herself blush as she forced her gaze up from his chest and back to his face. She frowned, and took a step back toward the mirror with the expressionless man reflected within. She tilted her head to the right, then to the left. Was this some sort of trick? Was this just some figment of her imagination? Reaching a hand out she touched the glass, but immediately withdrew her hand when she felt it move.

"This...has to be a dream," she whispered to herself. "Yes, that must be it. I'm still asleep."

The man in the mirror grinned, showing off dazzling white teeth. Alice clenched her eyes shut, and pinched her arm. When I open my eyes he won't be there. There was a low laugh, and her eyes flew open. The man was still there, and he was still grinning. Alice frowned again, and folded her arms across her chest. The pinch had definitely hurt, albeit only a little. And he was definitely still there... so... did that mean that he really was real?

No, he was still probably just a figment of her imagination. Yes, her mind was playing tricks on her. She had worked herself into such a state earlier that her mind was rebelling against her.

"I am real, you know." The man finally spoke, his voice deep and cheerful. "Despite what you're thinking."

Alice let out a light laugh. "If you were real you wouldn't be reading my mind, now would you?" she asked, giving the imaginary man a smile.

He returned her smile with another one of his grins. "But I'm not reading anything but your face, dear Alice. Your thoughts are as clear as day on your face."

She felt her face heat up and knew she was blushing. How could someone who wasn't real embarrass her so? This just wasn't normal... "I must be going mad," she murmured.

He laughed again. "Oh but Alice, don't you remember? We're all mad here."

Alice blinked. That sounded so familiar... but where had she heard it before? Oh, she just couldn't remember! And then it hit her. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Cheshire!" she exclaimed.

Cheshire nodded, and his grin widened. "So you do remember then. I hoped you would."

"But... but you're not real! I imagined you. You were just a dream! You can't be real, you just can't be. Because if you were, that would mean that-"

"That Wonderland is real? It is." Cheshire scoffed. "You really think everything that happened was just a dream?"

Alice hesitated, not really sure anymore. Was she sure? Before now? Yes. At the moment? Not really. All the same, Wonderland... everything... it just seemed too far-fetched to actually be real. And yet...a part of her wanted it to be real.

"Well... I suppose that it might not have been a dream..." she said at length. "But... that doesn't matter right now. I want to know... what are you doing in my mirror?"

Cheshire shook his head. "Looking for you of course." His golden eyes twinkled as he looked her over. "My, you certainly have grown. You're nothing like I remember."

Alice flushed again. "W-well, you're nothing like I remember either."

Which was very true. He was entirely different from the Cheshire that she remembered. He was much taller now, and he looked much thinner as well. In fact, he looked a little too thin. Raising her gaze to his face she smiled. His grin was the same, as were his eyes. They still had the same humorous quality that they always held.

Cheshire smirked when he noticed her looking at him. He thought about posing for her, but thought better of it when he saw the time on the clock across from the wardrobe. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He would have to wait until later to tease her, it seemed. For now they had somewhere they needed to be.

"Alice, it is time for you to make your choice," he said briskly.

She blinked. "Choice? What choice? Cheshire, what are you talking about?"

"Returning to Wonderland, of course! What else would I be referring to?"

Alice froze. He wanted to take her back to Wonderland? But... how? He was inside a mirror, and she was... no, that was beside the point. This wasn't supposed to be happening... this wasn't supposed to even be real. And yet... something within her told her that it was.

"But... why?" she asked lamely, trying to stall for time.

Cheshire frowned. "Why even ask such a silly thing?" He shook his head again. "No, no time for that. We're already running late as it is." He sighed. "I really need to stop spending so much time with White... now, time to go!"

And before Alice had a chance to blink she felt a hand grab her around the wrist and yank her hard into the mirror.

[由 Yuna 奈]

Chapter 3-Return to Wonderland

"Alice? Alice, are you alright?"

The voice that was speaking sounded familiar, but for the life of her, Alice couldn't remember why that was. Oh how her head ached... what had happened to her? Was she lying down? Well, she did remember falling asleep on her bed a few hours -- was it a few hours? -- ago, but nothing more than that. And what she was lying on was most certainly not her bed, and that voice was not one belonging to either of her parents. Oh yes, her parents... Alice mentally groaned. They would be ever so mad with her for what she had done... but really, could they truly blame her? It wasn't her fault that she didn't want to marry some stuck-up, arrogant, annoying, rich boy. She knew her parents could and would truly blame her though.

"...Alice?"

Who was that, and why did he keep speaking to her, Alice wondered. She tried to open her eyes, but they didn't seem to want to cooperate. She tried to speak, but found that she got roughly the same result with her mouth.

The person seemed to realize what the problem was though, for they laughed. "Oh, sorry. I didn't think that the entry was going to be this much trouble. Humans..." he muttered the final word as though it were something disgusting.

Alice blinked, or would have if she were able. Why did he seem to hate humans so much? Wasn't he a human himself? Wait, was she dreaming? That would explain all of this... well, except for her headache anyway...

"You need to try and open your eyes again, Alice. We're still running quite late. We'll be yelled at if we don't get there soon."

Late? Yelled at? It all came back to the young woman in a rush. Waking up and finding a strange man staring back at her from her mirror, being told that she hadn't just imagined Wonderland -- that it was real, and.... Her eyes flew open.

"Cheshire!" Alice yelled, pulling herself upright hastily. "What on earth were you thinking, pulling me into a--"

She broke off as she looked around. This was most certainly not her bedroom... The sky was dark gray, the color it gets right before a rainstorm, and she was sitting on hard brown dirt, the reason why she had felt so uncomfortable earlier. She couldn't see much else except for the man squatting next to her, and the forest that surrounded them on two sides. Where were they?

"Where...are we?" she asked curiously, her words mirroring her thoughts. "Is this... Wonderland?"

Cheshire nodded. "That's right, Alice." He grinned. "Welcome back."

Alice felt her stomach reel. This wasn't possible... it just couldn't be. She felt a surge of anger rise within her. If this really was where he said, then Wonderland was real. But if that were true, then why hadn't she been able to return all those times when she had so longed to? She should have been indignant to have been forced here again, but she couldn't seem to even manage to get upset. Her life in her normal world had never been very good, and had steadily progressed to 'bad' over the years. When she had visited Wonderland five years before she had experienced something amazing... something that showed her that she could have more than what she did. Even though she had thought it a dream, she had believed that with her whole heart.

And now that she was really back... she had a chance at being truly happy once more.

"I... I can't believe I'm really back," Alice murmured, a smile spreading out across her face.

"Yes, it's amazing what one can do with a bit of magic, isn't it?" Cheshire asked her, cocking his head to the side.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Yes, very. Now.... what did you mean by we're running late?" She smirked. "If I recall you said you were spending too much time with White... does that mean the two of you get on now?"

Cheshire mock gasped. "Why Alice, I cannot believe you think I would associate myself with that scatterbrained man." Seeing the annoyed look she gave him he rolled his eyes. "No, he and I don't 'get on'. Circumstances have simply brought the two of us together more often than either of us would like."

Alice heaved a sigh. "You really should try to be friends with him... has he ever even done anything to make you upset with him?"

Even as she said this Alice knew it was a bad idea. His strange gold eyes glowed with... what was it, anger, maybe? So 'upset' was a mild term for what had transpired between the two men.

"Perhaps... perhaps not," Cheshire responded cryptically. "Now, we really should be going." He made to stand up but a hand on his stopped him.

"Why do you do this?" Alice asked him. "Answer questions like that I mean."

Cheshire smirked. "Maybe you just need to try and look at it differently," he said, just as cryptically as ever.

Alice sighed again. She would never get anything out of him this way, and her head hurt far too much to try and think of another way to get him to talk to her. She would have to wait until later to think of something.

"So... we're going then?"

Cheshire nodded, and pulled himself up before helping her to her feet as well. "Yes, and we need to be quick about it too." Still holding her hand in his he turned. "Let's be off."

With that he began to pull her off to only God knew where. Alice stayed silent, staring at her hand. Why was he still holding it? Not that she really minded... the contact gave her a warm sort of feeling deep inside. It was comforting, to say the least. She hadn't really felt warm in a long time. All the same, it was quite strange that she would get such a feeling from someone whom she knew next to nothing about. She could always try to learn more about him though.

"Um...Cheshire?" Alice began, interrupting the silence.

Cheshire glanced back at her. "Hmm? What is it?" he asked.

"I realized that I don't really know much about you..."

"Not much to know," Cheshire said, shrugging. "I am who I am." He let go of her hand. "That's just how it is."

Oh, he was doing it again! Alice frowned, folding her arms across her chest. How bothersome... why couldn't he be straight with her? She had thought that they were friends... well, sort of anyway. They hadn't really been close the last time she had come here. In fact, they had been anything but close. They had talked a little, he had teased her, and then he had sent her off to go bother someone else. At least... that was what it seemed like he was doing.

Clearing her throat Alice tried again. "So where are we going exactly?"

Cheshire looked up at the sky and quickened his pace, forcing Alice to quicken hers as well to keep up. They would need to hurry if they were to get to their destination before the others did.

"You'll see later," he told Alice.

Alice mentally groaned. That wasn't fair! Why did everyone want to keep things from her? Did they think she was still just a little girl who knew nothing of the world? So alright, what she knew was from books, but that was better than nothing at all. She wanted to argue, but she also didn't want to fight anymore.

"Oh... I see..." Alice said dejectedly.

Cheshire sighed. "It's not what you think. The place we're going is a surprise." He looked back at her and grinned. "I think you'll like it there."

Alice returned his smile. "You think so?"

"I'm certain you will," Cheshire said.

This got Alice really curious. So they were going to a place that he thought she would really like... but what sort of place would that be? She liked almost every part of Wonderland. And even the places that she thought poorly of were only thought that way because of the people who lived there... such as the Duchess or Hearts. She paled. It wasn't possible that Cheshire was taking her to see one of them, was he? As some sort of joke? Now that she thought of it that definitely seemed possible. It sounded like something he might do.

"We're not, by any chance, going to see the Duchess or Hearts, are we?" Alice asked timidly.

Cheshire stopped walking and turned to face her. "Why would you ask that?" he demanded, his eyes hard.

Alice gulped, flinching slightly under his gaze. "Well, it's just that... I thought you might be planning on playing a joke on me... by um..." She hesitated. "...taking me to them?"

"No, I'm not." Cheshire shook his head. "Why would you think that I was?"

"W-well, you are the Cheshire Cat, and from the time I spent with you last time, I could tell that you like to play jokes on people."

Cheshire sighed again. "I've changed, Alice. I'm not the same as I was back then." His gold eyes saddened. "I think there's something I should warn you about."

Alice felt herself become nervous. Why was he being so serious? This wasn't like him at all... Cheshire was a happy-go-lucky type of person. The type who thought only of how to amuse themselves at the expense of others. So him being serious was, well, troubling.

"What is it?" Alice asked, taking a step toward him. "Cheshire?"

"There are going to be some differences between this Wonderland and the one you remember. Everything is different now, almost nothing is even the same as it was five years ago." Cheshire ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "I won't tell you, because you don't need to worry about that yet. It's not time yet."

Alice tilted her head to the side. "Time?"

Cheshire nodded. "Yes, time. It's not time for you to know what's been going on yet," he explained.

"Oh... um... alright then," Alice responded, although it really was anything but alright.

She wanted to know what was wrong... what was he afraid of? Was he afraid that what he had to tell her would upset her too much? If that were true, then things must really be bad... Alice bit her lower lip to keep herself from asking the questions that ran through her mind. If Cheshire really wanted her to know than he would eventually tell her.

Seeing her face, Cheshire said, "Don't worry Alice. Everything will be clear in time."

As they started walking again Alice remembered the note she had received earlier. That had said that she would one day understand that not everything is as it seems... maybe the note was referring to the same thing as Cheshire? Oh, she hoped she understood soon...

--

Alice didn't know how long they had walked, or what time it was. All she knew was that when she left her world it was night, and here...well, it was hard to say. Looking up at the sky now all she could see was a dull gray. Actually, the color of the sky reminded her very much of the color of George Faraday's eyes. She grimaced at the thought of him... how narrowly she had escaped marriage with that creep!

Another thing she knew was that she was very tired. The small amount of sleep she had gotten earlier had obviously not been enough, for now she felt more like a member of the living dead than a real living person.

She didn't even notice Cheshire stop walking until she had backed right into him. Letting out a breath of air she took a step back, rubbing her nose. "Why'd we stop?" she asked him.

Cheshire turned to face her. "We've arrived," he said cheerfully.

Alice blinked. Here? What...was here? Looking around all she saw were small huts made from tree branches. "What is this place?"

"This? Oh, this is the village of the wood fairies," Cheshire explained, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wood fairies?" Alice questioned uncertainly. "But... wouldn't they live in a forest?"

Cheshire snorted. "You'd think so, wouldn't you...."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alice demanded.

Cheshire shrugged. "Nothing," he said. "Now, we need to get you settled." His eyes ran up and down her petite frame. "And get you into some different clothes."

Alice looked down at herself. She was wearing a dark brown dress that hugged her small figure perfectly. On her feet were simple black shoes and white stockings that came most of the way up her legs.

She raised her head back up and stared indignantly at Cheshire. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

He held his hands up in defense. "Nothing, they're just a bit dirty." He sniffed. "And smell funny too."

Alice blushed. "I don't smell funny!"

"So you say," Cheshire said with a shrug. "But you don't have an extra good sense of smell. It's only the beginning of a smell."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh, only a beginning... so what exactly do you expect me to do about it?"

Cheshire smirked. "That's why we're here. Well, part of the reason anyway. Come, follow me."

With that he began to walk off again, leaving Alice with no choice but to follow him. It really was starting to bother her though... he was constantly leaving her behind, expecting her to follow. It was quite rude, really.

The two soon stopped once more, this time in front of one of the small huts. This one, like the others, appeared to be made out of tree branches. The roof seemed to have moss growing on top of it, and there was a tree out front. It was cute, in a very modest sort of way, and thought it quite charming.

Cheshire opened the door for her, and bowed slightly. Rolling her eyes, the teenager entered the house. It was just as cute on the inside, she found. There was a small table by a window in the corner, a few bookcases, a small kitchen, and some stairs going up to the second story. She turned back to Cheshire and looked at him questioningly.

"What exactly do you expect me to do here?" she asked him.

Cheshire's eyes twinkled. "Go upstairs, take a bath, get some rest." He smirked again. "I'll be back later on to check up on you."

Alice's eyes widened. "What? You're just going to leave me here and go gallivanting off wherever you want?"

"Well, I do have business I need to take care of." Cheshire crossed his arms. "And I'm not going to just wait around here for you."

Alice glared up at him. "Fine! Do whatever you want. I'll see you later!"

Just before she slammed the door in his face she could have sworn she heard him mutter 'have fun'. Now what could he possibly mean by that? Alice really wasn't sure she wanted to know...

And so she headed up the stairs, having to duck a little to avoid a beam that sunk lower than it should. She smiled when she saw the upstairs of the house. There was a bed up against one of the walls, and a partition separating the bathroom from the rest of it. She looked longingly at the bed, but decided that she might as well take a bath first. She didn't want to have to deal with Cheshire later, should she smell any worse than she already did. Which, she thought was ridiculous, since she didn't smell at all now.

--

Alice let out a low moan, and shifted slightly. She shivered, and moved around again, but got the same result. Why was she so cold? She mumbled something incomprehensible, before she let her eyes flutter open. What she saw though, was something she was expecting even less than seeing a man reflected in her mirror.

A man was staring wide-eyed at her, and she was completely naked.

EN: Again, yet another bad ending spot. Lol I think I like cliffhangers or something. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and hope you continue to read! Any guesses as to who the man who walked in on Alice bathing is?

[由 Yuna 奈]

Chapter 4 – A Very Mad Reunion Indeed

Chapter 4 – A Very Mad Party Indeed

The man stared down at Alice curiously as he took in her current situation. His eyes wandered from her face downward, until they stopped.

Alice followed his gaze, letting out a shriek when she realized where he was looking. Using her hands she attempted to cover herself up, though she knew the effort was futile.

Why me? She wondered, her mind spinning. Did I do something in a previous life to deserve such punishment? Really, had she done something horrible in her previous life to warrant so many bad things happening to her?

Probably not, but... well, it seemed horrible things liked to happen to her anyway.

The man laughed, placing his hands on his hips. “What exactly are you doing in there?” he asked.

Alice blushed, and shifted slightly so that more of the soap bubbles on top of the water covered her. “Well... I could ask you the same question. What are you doing in here?”

The man smirked. “I live here. Now, what's your excuse?”

Alice bit her lip. He lived her? Cheshire hadn't told her anyone lived here... Wait a minute... he had told her to 'have fun'. He couldn't have planned for this to happen...could he? Realization hit her.

“Oh my god! It was Cheshire!” she yelled, her temper flaring. “He set me up!”

“Cheshire?” the man asked in surprise. “Cheshire put you in here?”

Alice nodded. “Yes, he told me I needed to wash up because I stank.”

The man laughed. “Yes, that seems like him.”

“And...” Alice hesitated, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable around the man. “He definitely didn't tell me anyone lived here...”

“Of course not.” The man sighed. “Another joke, it seems.”

“Joke?” asked Alice cautiously. “This is just another of his jokes?”

The man nodded. “Yes, most likely. He hasn't done one in awhile, so we were all wondering when the next would come.”

Alice sighed. Why did she have to be the one to bear the blunt of his little 'jokes'? It just wasn't fair... she had never done anything to him, so why did he have to do these things to her? The last time she had come he had first sent her off to a mad tea party, and then later he had almost gotten her killed.

“So, although I find your current situation very pleasant, I doubt you feel the same. Come out when you're dressed.”

With that the mysterious man left the room, closing the sliding door behind him. Alice noticed now that there was no lock on it. Curious... Hurriedly she got out of the bathtub, making sure to pull the silver plug. She got dressed just as quickly, in the same dark green dress as before.

Looking down at herself she sighed. The dress was awfully dirty, and her normally white stockings sported brown streaks on the backs from when she was on the ground earlier. It would just have to do.

When she entered the bedroom she immediately got the feeling that something had changed in the room. And when she turned toward the window she saw what was different. There was a writing desk under one of the windows, and the man was sitting at it.

“A writing desk?” Alice murmured thoughtfully. “That wasn't there before...”

“Before?” asked the man, looking up from what he was working on. “Before what?”

Alice blinked. “Um... before I went in to take a bath,” she replied.

The man stared at her as though she were insane, a look that made the teen very uncomfortable indeed. “This desk has been here for many years. There are a number around the house.” He smiled. “I am quite fascinated with them, you see.”

“I see,” Alice said, though she really didn't see at all. What was so interesting about a writing desk?

“Do you now... hmm... are you a smart girl?”

Alice shrugged. “Smart? Well, I suppose... I wouldn't call myself as such, but I go to school and read a lot.”

The man clapped his hands together, the sound muffled by dark blue gloves. “Wonderful! Then I have a riddle for you.”

Alice grimaced. Ever since her last visit here, even though she had believed that to be just a dream, she hated riddles. “What is it?” she finally asked, sighing silently.

“Why is a raven like a writing desk?”

Alice's eyes widened. It couldn't be... could it? He looked nothing like she remembered, but... it could be him... For the first time since seeing him watching her, Alice took a good look at the man.

In addition to the blue gloves he wore white pants that were creased down the front, black shoes that shined, and a fancy dark blue coat trimmed in gold and lined with two neat rows of buttons. The coat's buttons were all done up, and had a high collar. However, the coat was designed so that the buttons didn't start for a good five inches or so below the top.

Although she couldn't see much of his shirt, she could see that it was white, and had a very ruffled collar, as well as ruffled sleeves. His face and neck were paler than was normal, looking like he got almost no sun. He had black lipstick on, and under his eyes were black triangles, thick at the top and needle-point thin at the bottom, reaching almost all the way to his mouth. His eyes were green in color, placed under finely arched eyebrows. His fiery hair was cut fairly short, but looked messy, as though it didn't often get to see a brush. He had long bangs brushed to the right so that they almost entirely covered the right side of his face.

And on his head was that ridiculous black top hat, with a blue ribbon rapped near the base, and that strange 10/6 symbol attached to the left side of it. Yes, Alice decided. No one but him would wear an outfit like that.

And the thought of Hatter seeing her naked... Alice blushed, and had to look down for a few seconds before she could look at him again. When she did she smiled.

“Because they were both written on,” she responded.

Hatter stared at her blankly. “Written on?” he questioned.

“Yes,” Alice said. “It is a writing desk, so naturally someone has written on it before. Also, there was a poet once who wrote on a raven.” At his stare she added, “Well, figuratively. He wrote about a raven.”

Hatter continued to stare, before shaking his head. “I have never heard of such a strange thing before. It's easier to just say that a raven, and a writing desk, are not the same at all, and should not be compared.”

Alice quirked an eyebrow. “That's simpler?” she asked him.

“Of course,” Hatter said. “But that's only if you see.”

“See what?” Alice pressed, a familiar feeling of annoyance rising within her. She had forgotten how obnoxious he could be at times.

Hatter shrugged. “You don't know either?”

Alice sighed. She was getting no where with this.... she might as well just try to change the subject before she got even more confused. Examining his face once more she frowned.

“Hatter, are you wearing earrings?”

He nodded. “Why of course! Don't you?”

“No, not usually,” Alice said.

Hatter frowned. “Are you ever going to tell me who you are? Or should I get Cheshire here to explain you to me?”

Alice laughed. He really hadn't figured out who she was yet? “Hatter, it's me, Alice.”

“Alice? I don't know any Alice,” Hatter said.

“What... you... don't?” Could he truly have forgotten her?

Hatter smirked. “Just kidding. Of course I know an Alice. You're much cuter than her, though.”

Alice flushed. “W-what do you mean by that?”

“Simply what I say,” Hatter said, standing up from the writing desk and making his way over to the girl. Placing a hand on her shoulder he smiled. “It's good to see you again, Alice.”

Alice returned his smile, though she was still wondering about his previous statement. “It's great to see you again too, Hatter.”

Before she could even blink she found herself wrapped tightly in Hatter's arms, her face pressed against his chest. Alice normally hated to be touched, but this didn't bother her at all. It was strange, and quite unusual... instead of feeling bothered, she felt warm and safe... wanted, even.

“Everyone has missed you.” Hatter lowered his voice. “I've missed you...”

Alice felt heat rush to her face yet again. My, she certainly was blushing a lot today... She used to never blush at all, and ever since she saw Cheshire earlier, all she seemed to do was blush. These people had such a strange effect on her...

“I missed you too...” she murmured, her voice muffled further by his clothes.

Hatter pulled away enough so that he could look into her eyes. His green orbs were piercing, the look they gave her hot. The look resembled anger, but Alice had a feeling it was something completely different. He slowly smiled, and the look was replaced by one of glee.

“You know, Hare missed you too. Dormouse did as well.”

Alice smiled as well, and took a few steps back. “I missed them too. Are they... are they here in the village?”

Hatter nodded. “Yes. In fact...” He took out a gold pocket watch and looked at it for a bit before putting it away. “They'll be here soon for tea.”

Tea? Oh no... Alice had a bad feeling about this.... The last time she had sat down for 'tea' with them, was the last time she had enjoyed having a cup of tea. So naturally she was not looking forward to the possibility of another such tea time.

“Oh... so perhaps I should leave then?” Alice asked, hoping against all hope that he would agree with her.

Too bad he didn't. “No, no, no! We can't have that, my dear. You must stay so we can give you a proper welcome home!”

Alice paled. This wasn't good... “No, that's really not necessary... I should get out of your way. Besides, Cheshire told me to meet him later, and--”

Hatter cut her off. “My dear Alice, we are throwing you a welcome home party! Besides, Cheshire owes us all for not telling us you were returning.” He smirked wickedly. “His payment is letting us give you a party.”

There was no use arguing with him... Alice wished that she could just leave, and not have the stupid party, but she knew she had no say in this. Maybe it won't be as bad as the last one, she thought hopefully. She had a terrible feeling that it would be worse, though.

“Alright, alright...” Alice sighed, and ran a hand through her wet hair. Her hand got stuck however, in the tangles. She tried to pull it out, but somehow managed to only get it more stuck.

Hatter burst out laughing. “Alice, do you need some help?” he asked, when he had calmed himself enough to speak.

Blushing in embarrassment, Alice nodded. “Yes please...”

Hatter walked up behind her and frowned as he picked up one long piece of hair. The ends were split, and even though it was wet, he could tell her hair was a bit dry.

“Alice, you need to take better care of your hair,” he told her, pulling a comb gently through the worst of the tangles.

Alice glanced back at him. “Where did that comb from from?” she asked curiously.

Hatter smirked. “Do you really want to know?”

She shook her head. “Not that badly, no.”

“Good,” Hatter said. “Now... this may take awhile...” He paused. “So... what did Cheshire tell you?”

Alice flinched as she felt him tug rather roughly at a particularly bad knot. “Not much,” she replied. “Actually, I'm not sure if he even told me anything.”

Hatter laughed as he moved onto another part of her hair. “I can imagine. Well, you'll be told everything in due time, my sweet.”

Alice frowned, but said nothing. More secrets... she had been here less than a day, and yet all she seemed to get were secrets. It seemed like the more she wanted to know something, the less she actually learned. She had hoped that Hatter at least would tell her something... as far as she knew he was quite a chatterbox, and yet she hadn't gotten a thing from him.

“When exactly is 'in due time?'” Alice asked him.

Hatter shrugged. “Due time is in due time. You will know when it is time when it is time.”

Alice bit her lip to keep from stomping on his foot. “That's not exactly what I meant, you know...”

“Of course I know,” Hatter bragged. “I know everything and anything, and yet nothing at all.”

What did that even mean? Alice was tempted to ask, but refrained, knowing he would go into a lengthy description that she didn't want to hear. Hatter was the kind of person who could talk for hours about something that he knew nothing about. It was a gift, but a very annoying one at that.

“So... about this tea party... I will actually get to drink tea, won't I?” Alice asked uncertainly.

Hatter scoffed, moving on to the final part of her hair. “Of course, why would you even think that you wouldn't get any?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Because the last time I joined you for tea, I ended up getting none at all. I kept getting moved with all of your 'clean cups'.”

Hatter laughed. “Oh, well, those days are in the past. My dear, you will have as much tea as you like. And I believe March is bringing some cakes as well. He's an excellent cook, you know.”

“Actually I wouldn't know, but I'll take your word on that.”

“My word is law,” Hatter said in a mocking tone.

Alice let out a sound that most of the world would call a snort. “Right, sure it is.”

Hatter put his comb back where it came from and moved in front of Alice, a pout on his black lips. “Oh, but Alice, why must you make fun of me so? I made you look so pretty!”

“Because, oh dear sir, you are mad,” Alice retorted, smiling faintly.

“Very true.” Hatter walked to the stairs and looked back at Alice. “Coming? Or do I need to give you some incentive?”

Alice was pretty sure he was joking, but the part of her that wasn't entirely sure was worried. The look in his eyes wasn't a threat, it was more like a promise. A promise of what was to come. Whatever it was, she really didn't want to find out.

–

“Alice, sweetie, I can't believe how long it's been!” Hare cried, grasping her hand from his place next to her at the table.

Alice smiled. “I know, it has been too long... I've really missed you... All of you.” She looked at all three people.

Hare had changed the least, she decided. He was still lean and wiry, with a thin face and high cheekbones. His light brown hair was cropped close to his head, and his blue eyes remained the same. He had three earrings in one ear, two in the other, and he wore numerous rings on his fingers. His clothing consisted of a blue shirt and black dress pants, plain and simple.

The only thing that had really changed about him was that he had developed a habit of calling her 'sweetie', just as Hatter had started calling her 'my dear' or other such things. Alice found it hard to believe that they were going more mad, but well, it was always possible.

“Alice, why were you gone so long?” Dormouse asked her. “Did you...stop believing?”

Alice sighed as she looked at her friend. Dormouse wasn't the small woman's really name of course, but a nickname Alice had given her five years before. It had stuck, and now everyone called her that. Dormouse had tan skin, and blond hair a few shades darker than Alice herself. She wore Gothic clothing, and wore lots of dark black eye makeup.

“I... suppose that I did... after returning to the other world I tried ever so hard to find my way back here, but I never could. I think that after one too many disappointments I started to believe I had simply dreamed the whole thing up.” Alice shrugged. “But I'm back now, so no need to worry.”

The others exchanged glances as she spoke, all three noticing that the teen referred to it as 'the other world', not 'home'. Although it probably meant nothing, it gave them hope.

“No, no worries at all.” Hatter held out a teakettle. “More tea?”

Alice smiled and nodded. “Yes please.” She held out her cup, which he refilled. Bringing the cup to her lips she took a sip, sighing in pleasure as she swallowed. “This is the best tea I have ever had.”

“But of course,” Hatter said smugly. “It is my own recipe, is it not?”

Dormouse and Hare looked from their cups, to him, then back to their cups. Glancing at each other, the two simultaneously placed their cups on the clear glass table, before taking sips of water from their glasses.

Alice stared at them in confusion, and Hatter in hurt.

“Why did you do that?” Hatter asked. “And as soon as I said it was my own recipe?”

Dormouse looked down at her lap and began twiddling with her thumbs, leaving Hare to answer for them.

“Well, Hatter... it's just that... sometimes you put strange things in your own blend... and Dor and I would prefer to not drink them.”

Alice stared down at her own cup before looking at Hatter suspiciously. “What... kind of things?”

“Oh, just some herbs, and some of this, some of that,” he responded.

“This and that?” Dor asked nervously. “What is... this and that, exactly?”

Hatter looked thoughtful for a few seconds before replying. “Dandelion, chamomile, lavender, vanilla beans, cocoa beans, some orange flowers I found, and some other things.”

Alice blinked. “What strange things to make tea out of...”

Dormouse bit her lip, twisting her hands together. “Um... the o-orange flowers wouldn't happen to have had white and red spots on them, would they?” she asked.

Hatter nodded. “Why yes, how did you know?”

“Hatter, I can't believe you!” Hare complained, making a gagging noise.

“What?” Hatter asked. “What's wrong with those flowers?”

Dor shrugged. “Nothing, if you don't mind getting severe laughing fits.”

Alice let out a giggle, then clamped a hand over her mouth. “L-laughing fits, you say?” She giggled again, then again, until she was laughing outright.

Hatter frowned. “That wasn't supposed to happen. Hmm...perhaps I should buy a book on plants.”

Hare rolled his eyes. “That would be wise.”

They all turned to look at Alice, who was still laughing, much to her dismay. Oh, why couldn't she have normal friends instead of ones who used random plants in tea? The laughing just didn't seem to be stopping either. Alice wondered if it were possible to actually die from laughing, because she seemed to be getting quite close to that point.

Dor glared at Hatter while attempting to keep from laughing herself. Sadly it was a futile effort, and within minutes all three were laughing like mad.

–

The party continued on for a few more hours, until Hare started yawning loudly.

“Excuse me,” he said after the fifth time he had yawned. “I believe it is time to depart.”

Dor nodded as they all stood. “Yes, I need to wake up early in the morning to help the wood fairies with something.”

Alice and Hatter walked the two of them to the door, Alice wondering whether or not she should go with them, Hatter not thinking anything at all.

Hatter smiled when the reached the door. Embracing his old friend he grinned. “See you tomorrow, March?”

Hare nodded as he pulled away, a strangely happy look on his face. “Of course. Tomorrow's going to be quite busy.”

Dor nodded as she draped an arm around Alice. “Very true.” Turning to the girl she smiled shyly. “See you tomorrow?”

Alice returned her smile warmly, hugging the short woman. “I'm looking forward to it. You and I really need to talk some more.” She glanced at the two men who were watching them. “Without such unsophisticated company.”

The two women laughed, much to the confusion of the men. It was Hare's turn to say goodbye now, while Dor and Hatter spoke quietly to one another.

Alice stared at Hatter and Dor for a bit before turning her attention to Hare. “Is there something going on between them?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No, nothing like that.” Despite the confidence he said this with, he too looked at the other too, a slight jealous look on his face. Turning back to Alice he smirked. “Not too much madness for you, was it?”

Alice grinned. “No, just the right amount.” She gave him a hug before pulling back. “See you tomorrow, Hare.”

Hare nodded. “See you.”

–

When the two had gone Alice looked uncertainly up at Hatter. She felt quite uncomfortable being alone with him now that the others were gone.

“So...” she began. “Should I leave as well?”

Hatter shook his head hastily. “No, no. Of course not. You can stay here the night.”

Alice bit her lower lip. “Is that a good idea?”

“Why wouldn't it be?” Hatter asked.

“Oh, no reason.” Only that you're a man and I'm a woman, well... sort of anyway, Alice thought to herself.

Hatter smirked, seemingly realizing what she was thinking. “You can sleep upstairs in the bed. I have somewhere I need to be tonight, so sadly I cannot join you.”

If she hadn't known it would be rude, Alice would have sighed in relief. But wait... “Where are you going to go?” she asked.

“Out,” Hatter responded. “Nothing to worry about, I just have some errands to run.”

Alice frowned. Even though the sky was still the same dull gray color it had been since she arrived, she knew it must be past midnight. “Errands?” she asked.

Hatter simply nodded. “Yes, errands. Now, you should get some sleep. It's going to be a big day tomorrow.”

Leaning down towards her he reached out a gloved hand and tipped her chin upwards so their eyes locked. He then closed the distance between them and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

Before Alice even knew what was happening he was gone.

[由 Yuna 奈]

Chapter 5-Tweedles Hal and Al

When Alice awoke in the morning she was very confused indeed, for the room that she now found herself in wasn't the one in which she went to sleep in. The girl jerked into an upright position as she looked around nervously.

The room was painted a dull green, with frilly black curtains on the windows and on the canopy bed she was lying on. The sun was shining in through the windows, but something seemed strange.

Alice stood up from the bed and made her way over to one. When she got close enough she gasped in disbelief. There windows on the bars? Why? The bars only proved to make the girl even more worried. Running to the door she tried the knob, only to find that it was locked from the other side. What was going on? Why was she locked in this strange room? Was Hatter playing some sort of joke on her? If he was, it was most certainly a horrible one.

But no, this wasn't his style. He was mad, but not this mad. And besides... Alice doubted he would do something like this to her after what had happened the night before when he... Her cheeks flushed red just thinking about it. Hatter had kissed her... the thought was so strange... She had never seen the man in that sort of light before, but... now she couldn't seem to see him in any other sort.

She turned from the door and moved to the bed, flopping down upon it. The bed itself was covered by a green blanket, a darker shade than the one on the walls. The pillows were the same frilly black.

"What an odd combination," Alice murmured. Sighing she flipped over so she looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, I really wish I knew where I was..."

"Oh, but it is much more fun this way," a voice said cheerfully.

Alice jumped at the sound of it, sitting up to look around for it. But... there was no one here. "Where are you?" she asked, though she had a feeling it would have been better to ask 'who are you'.

The voice laughed. "I'm on the other side of the door."

"The other side..." Alice's eyes widened and she lunged toward the door. "Oh, please open it!"

"Why should I? It's fun to have you locked in here."

"Well I don't find it fun," Alice muttered.

"Well I do."

Alice frowned. Maybe it was Hatter playing some sort of trick on her... she would have thought that anyway, had it not been for the fact that the voice on the other side of the door was most certainly not his.

She decided it may not hurt to at least try to get more from this person. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Not going to tell."

"But why not?" demanded Alice, suddenly angry. Honestly, this was quite absurd.

"Because that would ruin the surprise."

Alice was pretty sure she didn't want to know what the 'surprise' was. She had had enough of surprises in Wonderland. They had almost always ended badly, and she feared this would be the same. It only made sense that this would be the same. Although... nothing in Wonderland ever made sense to her, so that was really meaningless to think that.

"So... I just have to stay in here?" she asked tiredly. There was no reply. "Hello? Are you there?" Still no reply. "Oh great..."

So now she was locked in this room alone again. Well, she had still been technically alone when the person was speaking to her, but at least she had had someone to talk with. And now... Her eyes widened when she heard the distinct click of a lock being opened. As the door opened inward she took a step back to avoid being hit, while at the same time trying to catch a glimpse of the person on the other side.

What she saw made no sense to her. Who was this? She had never seen him before...

The man was short, probably only an inch or so taller than her, and had blood red hair. His hair was medium long, and hung loosely onto his forehead. He had bright green eyes that looked almost the same color as the dreadful green walls around her. He wore a pair of red dress pants with a black shirt with a frilly collar tucked into them. And he wore suspenders that were a brilliant shade of yellow. He was round around the middle, and to Alice's best guess, was probably somewhere in his mid-forties.

Alice hesitated, not wanting to appear rude, but still curious. "Who are you?" she asked at length, when the man didn't seem eager to speak first.

He smirked. "Really Alice, are you thinking?" She looked at him in confusion and he sighed. "I'll take that as a no. I'm someone who is one, and yet two, and yet still one."

Alice blinked once. One, and yet two, and yet still one? What could that mean? Her head began to spin, so she decided to just give it up and hope that he simply told her.

"So... where am I?" she inquired.

"Ah, but where is a relative term. It is more a question of 'who' am I."

Alice only began to feel more confused. "What does that even mean?"

The man shrugged. "It means what it means." Reaching out he took Alice's hand and dragged her from the room before she could protest. "Now, we really must see my brother."

Alice's eyes widened. "Brother? Wait, then you're-"

She was cut off when she ran into a door-frame. She let out a small yelp of pain, but the man pulling her didn't seem to even be paying attention. When the spots in front of her eyes cleared the two were outside, standing in a small courtyard covered in a thick layer of leaves. There were various piles of discarded items here and there, reminding Alice of the last time she was here. She smiled when she saw the man who had brought her move so that he stood next to an identical man in identical clothing.

"I knew it," she exclaimed. "You're the Tweedle brothers!"

The two men nodded, and at the exact same time spoke. "You guessed it."

One of them took a step forward and bowed. "I am Al."

The other brother did the exact same thing. "And I am Hal."

Alice giggled softly. "Al and Hal?"

The two men sighed. "Yes," said Al. "It is a shame that our parents thought it would be funny to give us matching names."

"No, I think it's cute," Alice said with another light laugh.

Hal grinned. "Cute? Alice, you are the one who is cute."

The teen sighed. She always hated it when people called her that. She was past the cute age now, or at least she was pretty sure she was. But most people didn't quite seem to be able to call her anything more than cute. The twins watched as a frown formed on her pretty face.

Al slapped his twin upside the head. "Now look what you've gone and done, you ninny!"

Hal glared at his brother. "Me? You're the one who started the whole thing by bringing her here!"

"Yes, but you are the one who who asked me to," Al retorted triumphantly. "Besides, Alice likes me better."

"She does not!" yelled Hal indignantly.

Alice watched the two as they continued to fight. Was this really happening? They were fighting over something so ridiculous... actually, she wasn't even sure what they were fighting about at all. They seemed to be fighting over her, but...why? It just didn't make any sense to the girl.

"And, you were the mistake!" With that Al, or at least Alice was pretty sure it was Al, shoved his brother.

Only he seemed to have miscalculated, because Hal went flying into Alice, knocking the girl to the ground. He kept going as well, landing on top of her, with his lips pressed to hers. The girl flushed, her eyes wide in shock. Hal was quickly pulled off of her by Al.

"Look what you did!" Al screamed. "You hurt our dear Alice!"

"Me?" Hal questioned. "You're the one who knocked me into her." He looked over at Alice, who was still on the ground. "Do you need a hand up, my dear?"

Alice shook her head quickly, her brain still trying to process what had just happened. "Um... no thanks..."

Hal nodded, and turned on his brother. "You are so selfish! Do you even realize that you could have hurt her? What would you have done then?"

Al clenched his fists. "I was being careful, dolt! You are the one who wasn't watching where you were falling."

"Watching where I was falling?" Hal asked in disbelief. "You have to be kidding me."

"And why would I be kidding you? I don't even like you."

Al bent down and picked up a broom. "That does it. It is time for us to settle this the right way."

Hal nodded in agreement. "Yes."

By now Alice had stood up and was trying to brush the dirt off of her black dress. Wait... black? Since when was she wearing a black dress? She hadn't gone to bed in this... but that would mean that one of the brothers had changed her clothing, and... She felt her face flush again and she suddenly had a tremendous urge to go and hide somewhere. No, she had to stop thinking about that.

"Um... what is the right way?" she asked hesitantly, trying to get her mind off of them changing her clothing.

As Al put a tea pot on his head he glanced over at the girl. "A duel, of course."

Alice froze. "A duel? You can't be serious..."

Hal put a metal bowl on his head, and what appeared to be a round metal plate attached to cords on his chest. Picking up a rake he stepped toward his brother. "A duel," he said.

"Duels are the only way to solve things," Al commented, also moving toward his brother now that he was once again armed with his broom.

"Oh my..." Alice sighed. This was going to give her another headache. "But why are you going to duel?"

"Because we need to settle a dispute," Hal responded immediately.

The two brothers rushed at each other, their makeshift weapons colliding. The two beat at each other for a few moments, neither seeming to gain any leverage against the other. Finally Hal's rake hit Al across the head, knocking the tea pot to the ground. And with the pot fell something else... his hair.

Alice had to bite back a laugh. He was wearing a toupee! Well, they both probably were. Her thoughts of laughing were quickly diminished as Al glared menacingly at Hal.

"How dare you do such a thing," he cried.

Hal smirked. "It was for your own good, dear brother."

"You need to learn some manners!" Al lunged at his brother, knocking them both to the ground. The men rolled around in the dirt, exchanging blows, both seemingly oblivious to their audience.

"Um... excuse me," Alice said timidly.

Nothing. They were still fighting, and one of them got a bad blow in the nose. Alice flinched as she heard the sound of bone breaking.

"Tweedles?" Still nothing. "Al? Hal?" They still ignored her, both still fighting their pointless little battle.

It was then that Alice noticed a butterfly hovering near her head. Was it just her imagination, or was it trying to get her attention? The red creature was flying this way and that to her side. It certainly looked like it wanted her to do something. A flicker of recognition ran through her as she remembered that another of her friends was quite friendly with butterflies. Could it be him?

Yes, that had to be it. Caterpillar must have sent this butterfly to bring her to him. Her blue eyes looked back to the brothers, just in time to see one knee the other in the stomach.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go now," she told them, though they ignored her once more. "Oh well, they'll figure it out eventually."

And so she walked off, following the red butterfly deep into a dark forest.

E/N: Sorry it's a bit short everyone. I thought this might be a good place, considering the next chapter is a lot longer. And to clear up any confusion about the brothers, Hal was Tweedledum, and Al was Tweedledee. If you have any more questions just ask me.